Independent candidates, 1981 Ontario provincial election

Several independent candidates contested the 1981 Ontario provincial election, none of whom were elected. This page contains information on these candidates.

Frank Esposito (Yorkview)

Esposito was a perennial candidate for municipal office. He campaigned for the North York Board of Control in 1980, 1982 and 1985, and later ran for office in Vaughan.

The 1981 campaign was his sole bid for provincial office. He called for all existing crown land to be subdivided to provide housing for low income families, and encouraged the abolition of lotteries, which he said encourage "family breakup". [Kevin Scanlon, "Meet Fish party a hit for rival", "Toronto Star", 11 March 1981, A6.]

Esposito's main promise in the 1980 election was to improve the functioning of city council committees. [Marina Strauss, "Hopefuls want end to chaos in North York", "Globe and Mail", 30 October 1980, P4.] He did not actively campaign for office, and did not put up any signs. [Warren Potter, "Civic election deposits urged to weed jokers", "Toronto Star", 22 October 1980, A20.] In 1982, he called for property taxes to be replaced by an income tax. [Denys Horgan, "Greene bid shakes North York", "Globe and Mail", 2 November 1982, P4.] he supported property tax reform in 1985, along with increased day care services and youth centres and initiatives to assist senior citizens with staying in their own homes. [Dyanne Rivers, "Traffic an issue in controllers' race", "Globe and Mail", 6 November 1985, A16.] He was defeated all three occasions. Esposito also ran for North York City Council in a 1984 by-election, held in the city's first ward.

In 1988, Esposito campaigned for the York Regional Council as a Vaughan representative. He was listed as the fifty-year old president of a house-building firm, and as being fluent in English, Italian and Spanish. He renewed his support for lower property taxes and increased day care options, also calling for low-density affordable housing while opposing townhouses and highrise projects. ["Vaughan", "Toronto Star", 8 November 1988, N9.] He was again defeated.

Esposito's final municipal campaign to date was in 1991, when he sought election to Vaughan Council's first ward. He was listed as a resident of Woodbridge, and a part-time real estate agent. He called for increased recycling services. ["Vaughan", "Toronto Star", 7 November 1991, NY2.]

*The 1980 result is taken from the "Toronto Star" newspaper, with 1,257 of 1,379 polls reporting.
*The 1982 result is taken from the "Globe and Mail" (8 November) newspaper, with 1,311 or 1,329 polls reporting.
*The 1985 result is taken from the "Globe and Mail" newspaper (13 November).
*The 1988 result is taken from the "Toronto Star" newspaper (22 November).
*The 1991 result is taken from the "Globe and Mail" newspaper (14 November).

Footnotes